Hardships
by TaurusGirl
Summary: Hermione is moving out of her childhood home- much to her dismay. but what will happen when she moves next door to someone she despises? DMHG please R&R - its my first fanfic
1. Memories

_Hardships_

_Chapter One_

_Dear Hermione,_

_Mum said that you could come out to the Burrow this summer, but only if its okay with your parents_. _Harry's coming too. I thought maybe since it was only a week till school, and that its last year that you'd like to come to the Burrow for the last time before school officially ends. I think it holds more meaning that way... Anyways… send back your reply._

_Love, Ron_

Hermione stared at the letter. She hadn't heard from Harry or Ron all summer; now she knew exactly how Harry felt when he was being ignored. It really wasn't a nice feeling. Rereading the letter again, Hermione noticed that there wasn't even a note of apology as to why they hadn't owled her all summer. She had felt left out, as if Harry and Ron hadn't wanted to include her in their plans. But she knew her friends would never do that to her; they were best friends, and there must be some reason as to why they hadn't written a message. Could it have possibly been about the Order? Eager to find out, and knowing that she couldn't possibly write about the Order in a letter than could be intercepted, she hastily wrote back a reply:

_Dear Ron,_

_I would love to come visit you at the Burrow… _

Hermione checked her calendar to see when a good time would be to go there.

_Can you possibly come pick me up around noon on the 22nd? See you then._

_Love, Hermione_

Although she hadn't asked her parents, she knew it would be okay. After all, she had been allowed every other year hadn't she?

"What do you _mean_ I can't go to Ron's this summer? It's the last week before term starts! We always get together before then!"

"I'm sorry Hermione, but we already have other plans!" Mrs. Granger looked desperately at her husband.

"Hermione," Mr. Granger started, "We're moving right away, as your mother and I have been transferred to another office, and we are expected to be fully moved in the new house before the 28. And in order for _that_ to happen, you have to be there to help. I'm so sorry honey."

"We're _MOVING? _Oh, Mom how could you?" and with that, Hermione tore out of the room in tears and ran up into her bedroom. _How could they do this to me? They didn't even tell me! And now I'll be moving…_ this thought brought even more tears to Hermione's eyes. This was her childhood home. She had lived here her whole life. She couldn't just move and leave all that behind.

Hermione glanced around the room that she used to think needed serious redecorating; but she didn't think that anymore. The curling wallpaper was of yellow ducks- the same thing that had been in her room since she was a baby in her nursery. On one side of the wall beside her dresser, there was a diagram of the human mouth thought it wasn't very good; a 5 year old Hermione had drawn it. With a wry smile, Hermione remember back to that time when she had been sorting through her parents' dentist pamphlets, and decided to draw a diagram on her wall with crayon so that she could teach her teddy bears all about your teeth. When her mother found out, she had nearly died of laughter.

And then on another side of the wall lay Hermione's drawing of Hogwarts. It many turrets and towers and stood hovering over the shimmering lake, the forbidden forest and Hagrids hut tucked safely away in the background. Drawn with watercolors, the painting of Hogwarts was almost the exact same likeness.

Then Hermione realized that she was moving; she would never see her artwork again that lay scattered across her wall, the duck wall paper peeled aside in spots so as to make room for Hermione to draw and paint directly on the wall. Whoever would be moving in would tear down her artwork without caring in the least of what it would mean to her. And she would never be able to redraw any of the pictures; they were the originals, and would always remain so. Nobody knew that Hermione was such a talented artist, save for her parents.

The only person she had ever bothered to tell was her best friend in third grade. Drusilla had liked to copy Hermione's work more than they played together. And so Hermione decided to tell Drusilla of her talents in the hopes of making their friendship more interesting. But Drusilla had only laughed at her and told her that all she could draw was a pig. Hermione had been heartbroken, and had never spoken to Drusilla again. She hadn't had a friend since then, until Harry and Ron. They liked Hermione for who she was, even though they too liked to copy off of her. But who could blame them?

On her desk, there lay pictures of Hagrid, Harry, Ron, and some of the castle. Oh how she longed to go to the Burrow… but obviously luck wasn't in her way. Mourning for her loss, she went downstairs in the kitchen to grab a snack. Halfway down the stairs, Hermione was met by her father who handed her a stack of empty boxes.

"To pack you know. The movers will be here tomorrow, so you better get a move on."

Realizing that any arguments would be futile, she walked back up the stairs, silent tears streaming from her face. Once in her room, she wondered where to begin. Wiping a tear off her chin, she decided she would start with her pictures and paints. Stuffing her pencil crayons markers, sketching pencils, water colors, pastels and all her pictures that weren't painted on the wall into one box, she used a black marker to label "Paints". She used another 3 books to pack her books (and boy was there ever a lot of them). After labeling those boxes, Hermione realized that all her memories of this house would be lost once all her things were removed from it.

It was then she actually had a breakdown. Grabbing a paper weight off her cluttered desk, Hermione threw it as hard as she could at the wall. It left a rather large whole, but it made Hermione a little better. The tears were really pouring down her face, and to make matters worse, she was starting to cry. It was quiet at first but then the cries turned into heave wracking sobs.

Trying to divert her attention back to her packing, she found a picture she had drawn before she was accepted into Hogwarts. It was of people, all bustling about or chatting with their friends in a large city. In the middle sat a shadowed figure slumped against a STOP sign, arms around her knees. It was Hermione all alone. And that's exactly how she felt; Alone. Her parents hadn't even let Hermione giver them her consent; which was important since the Grangers _always_ made decisions with one another. It wasn't fair. Her parents had no right!

Hermione willed the tears to stop coming, but they just wouldn't. It aggravated her even more. After all her clothes and personal belongings were packed, Hermione called up her dad to disassemble her bed, dresser, and giant bookshelf, while choosing herself to go for a walk. She finally managed to control her tears as she walked into the living room to tell her mom where she was going. She noticed her parents did a pretty good job of packing everything up. The couch and the furniture were all covered in plastic, while the TV, DVD player and the DVDs were boxed up. This was the room where Hermione herself had taken her very first steps, and said her very first word (book).

Once again, the tears flowed. _Geez, I'm a human hosepipe._

"Mom," she managed to say, "I'm going out for a walk. Ill be back in bit." And she left the room not caring what her mothers answer would be.

Hermione decided to take a tour of her backyard, so that meant that she would have to go through the kitchen. AS she entered the cooking room, she jumped back in surprise. Nothing looked the same. All the food from the cupboards were taped up in boxes, and so was the china and cutlery. The table and chairs were no longer there; but neither was the stove, microwave, or refrigerator. Her parents had packed up _everything, _much to her dismay. It was only another sign that showed that the new people would change everything.

Hermione pushed open the sliding glass door and went down the spiral steps off the balcony to the yard below. There was her favorite tree; right down in the corner of the yard. It provided shade in those hot summers when the burning sun had been unbearable. On one thick branch hung a swing that her father had built for her when she was 10. Gingerly climbing on it, Hermione began to pump her legs back and forth so that she went higher and higher…

"_Higher, higher daddy!" a younger Hermione giggled. _

"_Anything for you pumpkin!" and then he gave her the biggest under duck she'd ever had in her life. _

"_You know that if you go high enough, you can touch the sky?"_

"_Really Daddy?"_

"_Of course!"_

_And up she went… when she reached the highest she'd ever gone before, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Hermione reached out her hand to try to touch the sky, but she didn't succeed; the swing came back down._

"_That's all alright pumpkin, you'll get it next time"…. Next time…_

Hermione was snapped out of reverie by the groaning of the swing. Too late, Hermione realized that the swing was breaking... her 17 year old frame was way too heavy for the child like swing. The rope snapped, and she was brought to the ground nearly twisting her ankle in the process. Sitting on the grass staring at her knees, a sense of helplessness flowed around her… she glanced at the broken swing. She sighed, as a tear escaped her eye, and this time she did nothing to stop it. She cried and cried until there were no tears left. She was empty. Utterly and completely empty. She had nothing left of her childhood now; it was all gone.

Brushing the bits of grass and dirt of her person, Hermione got up off the grass. She decided to explore the rest of the yard before she went to pack up her precious library. The flower garden was radiant. All the flowers were in bloom; the sunflowers towering 8 feet high. The rose bushes were beautiful, all soft and blossoming. There were also snapdragons, marigolds, tulips, buttercups, gladiolas, and many other flowers even the smart Hermione could not find a name for. This was the Granger family passion; the flower garden. All those long hard hours bent over on their back digging and planting and sweating. They had created something beautiful every year, decorated the backyard to make it look its best.

She even recalled that one year when Hermione had taken all the flowers off the lilac bush. Her mother had been furious with Hermione, but after she had set them on a tray in an artistic manner, the anger cooled off. She laughed at the memory, but jumped when she felt a cool hand on her shoulder. Her mother.

"Sweetie, I know it's hard, and I know it's going to take awhile to get used to everything, but sometimes you have to let things go. I'm sure you'll like the new house," and with a glare from Hermione she added, "Of course not as much… but you will like it."

"I know mom, I know… can we go pack up the library now?"

"Of course."

They headed off inside to go box up the few hundred books that Hermione had cherished so much all through her life. The books had all cost a small fortune, but she thought it had been worth. How many rainy days had Hermione spent here reading mysteries, romances, adventures, and God knows what else? Too many, yet not enough.


	2. Neighbors

Oh by the way thanks to MIDNIGHTPIXIE bmsgirl and berrymix for the awesome reviews. It's given me the inspiration to write more chapters… so here you go

_Hardships_

_Chapter 2_

Hermione wasn't sure what woke her up that morning – the screech of a truck, the sunlight streaming through her window onto her face, or the stiffness in her back. _My mattress is top quality… it wouldn't make my back stiff… and the window, I have curtains up. It must be the truck. _As she tentatively opened her eyes, so as not to blind herself from the glare of the sun, she realized she was on the floor… _that's funny, I don't remember falling off the bed._ Fully awake now, Hermione looked around the room… to find that nothing was there… No desk, no bed, no curtains…

With a groan, Hermione remembered the events of yesterday... she was moving… and she couldn't go to The Burrow… _OH NO RON! He doesn't know that I can't come… _she would find a way to give him the message… hopefully.

Yawning and stretching her arms, Hermione walked to the bathroom that was adjacent to her room. The baby blue decorations were all gone (shower curtain, towels, floor mat)… meaning she couldn't have a shower till she moved to her new house.

Throwing on a sundress she had picked out for today, Hermione washed her face and then started at her reflection in the mirror. Much to her surprise, her face had gone thinner, and her eyes have changed from amber to a fine whiskey color sporting cinnamon flecks. Her hair was the most drastic change… instead of the bushy brown hair she had worn all her life; it was long and curly- and defiantly _not_ bushy or frizzy. All in all, Hermione looked really pretty. Her figure was doing her justice too.

She wondered if there would be a boy living next door… _Mom didn't exactly say where we were moving… maybe I'll ask her… _Hermione decided to wear her hair down today, just to make a good impression for the new neighbors. She was still heartbroken over the fact that she had to move… but she would get over it- eventually…

"Mom, I have a question!" Hermione shouted from the bathroom.

"What is it dear?" her mother's voice chimed from the kitchen.

"Where are we moving?"

"Oh some place in Surry… it's a big mansion… and we only have one neighbor… some Malloy or something along those lines."

_Hmm… I wonder if it's a wizarding neighborhood. _Hermione grabbed her purse and headed downstairs… there was nothing in the living room, kitchen, or dining room. She entered the library, and as soon as she saw the bare walls sorrow decorated her delicate features. Her father entered in behind her.

"You know Hermione, just because we're moving doesn't mean that you don't still have the memories in your heart. When you went to summer camp, you left at the end of the summer, but you still remember everything. It's like the same thing here. Were leaving the house, you can keep the memories forever if you just hold on to them."

"Thanks dad," Hermione replied.

"Anytime princess; you ready to go?"

"Yeah Dad, just give me one more minute."

Hermione looked around the empty room. This room held so much meaning for her. She learned to read here. She found her passion here, in this room that used to be cluttered with books. With one last look of longing, Hermione fled the room, choosing instead to go sit in the car to wait. Shortly after, her parents joined her and they were off.

"Isn't it beautiful Hermione? Look at the colors... and the lawn oh! It's so green! And look at the pretty flowers!" Miss Granger exclaimed.

Hermione looked up from her book to check out the glamorous new house. It looked to be about 5 stories high, and each level was as large as her whole old house. _It's beautiful alright._

Her parents parked in the stone driveway, and she got out. She craned her neck to look at all the turrets and towers on her new home. Grabbing her luggage, she entered the house behind her parents. The front hall was as large as a swimming pool, the cool marble floor making Hermione shiver. There was a large marble fountain in the center of what suspiciously looked like a centaur. Water was pouring out of the centaur's hand. It reminded Hermione of the fountain that used to reside in the Ministry Of Magic.

"Hermione, go upstairs and pick out a room. It doesn't matter which one… I can tell they're all huge!"

"Alright mom…" _Speaking of huge, has she checked out the staircase yet! An elephant could walk up these things!_

Hermione ambled down the monstrous marble hallway checking each bedroom as she went. Finally she found one that was perfect. It was a large, circular room save for one wall where a king sized bed lay. The comforter was of a soft yellow, reminding her of her yellow duck wallpaper. Two nightstands (one on either side of the bed) were made of cherry mahogany. The closet was the size of her old room, and it was decorated with yellow roses. The bathroom was also huge. The bathtub was half the size of a small public swimming pool complete with jets; and there was a double sink. This room was decorated in a soft burgundy, to match the mahogany furnishings.

Hermione unpacked all of her things accordingly. After a few hours, when she finished, she went to find the stair case. Surprisingly, she didn't get lost, and managed to find the kitchen alright. Her parents were both there, so she told them she was going out to get some fresh air. _Maybe I'll see my new neighbors…_

Carefully opening the ancient front door, Hermione stepped out into the blazing sunlight. Using her hand to shade her eyes, she walked down the stone driveway. As she neared the neighbor's house, she noticed that it was even larger than her new house. It was like a castle.

Walking closer to it, to see if there was anything she could identify it to, Hermione stopped dead as she caught sight of 2 words written boldly across the front of the house: "_Malfoy Manor_".

_No, it can't be… oh I'm going to kill my parents! Wait, It possible that there was another rich family named Malfoy? Oh God, I hope so. _But then to confirm her worst nightmare, a blond 17 year old strutted across the front lawn; but he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Hermione glaring at him with wide eyes. That was the precise moment when Hermione felt the blackness swirling around her…

Ha-ha sorry about the short chapter… its kind of a cliff hanger... I would have updated sooner but I got really sick yesterday. Please tell me what you think of my story…


	3. Art and a Promise

Draco is OOC in this and I'm not sure how you will like that, but I needed him to change in order to make this story work. And their love isn't going to come straight off the bat. Thanks to princessdza for the wonderful reviews.

_Hardships_

_Chapter Three_

Draco Malfoy looked at the girl who had just fainted on his driveway. He knew it was Granger, but she had changed so much. Her hair was like silk – the dark curls coming down to her waist. Her figure was alluring, and the glimpse he had caught of her whiskey colored eyes had made him drunk. He wasn't sure why she had fainted; but he supposed it was because she was surprised at finding him there. Normally he would have said that she was ultimately afraid of the Famous Draco Malfoy; but not this time.

He changed from the whinny spoiled rotten boy to an honest understanding man. The hardships he had gone through this summer had taught him a big lesson. He realized that image wasn't everything; he decided he didn't care what others thought about him anymore. His father was killed in battle. The moment he died, his mother told him of the horrible things Lucius Malfoy had done in his miserable life. Things that Draco had never been informed of before. Like the fact that his father was a death eater, or that he tortured people for fun. His crackpot father, or "the man who made me" as Draco often referred to him of now, had filled Draco's head with all sorts of terrible things about people; like the fact that muggleborns should always be referred to as mudbloods, and that they were bellow everyone else.

His mother had also told him that Draco had been under the imperious curse many times in his life, sometimes for more than 3 months at a time. Draco hated his father now; he had put Draco through so much pain and torture. He used to think that image was everything, but apparently it was not; Draco he decided he didn't care what others thought about him anymore. His mother had, unfortunately been tortured to death. So Draco was on his own now. He had a whole empty boring mansion and loads of money and he had no clue what to do with his life. But the first thing, he decided, was that he was going to make it up to Granger.

Lifting her feather light body, Draco carefully carried her into the Malfoy Manor. He laid her on the plush couch so that he could go get some butter beer and chocolate frogs from the kitchen. As he was returning, he saw Hermione stirring. Quickly sitting down on the large couch beside her feet, he watched her intently as she woke up. He nearly laughed out loud when he saw her dazed expression. She looked at her surroundings wondering where in the world she was, until she saw Draco. Then she flopped her head back down and closed her eyes, as if to say "_let this be a dream_". Then Draco _did_ laugh, causing Hermione to snap it back up again.

She looked at him, shooting daggers with her eyes.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She asked, venom dripping from every word.

"Well," Draco replied, "I saw you faint on my driveway, so I brought you inside. Butterbeer?" he offered a mug to her. She accepted it grudgingly, but only because her throat was parched. Draco just stared at her, a demented smile on his face, like he was about to laugh. There was no trace of his trademark smirk.

"So what brings you here to this part of England?" Draco asked.

"My family moved," Hermione quietly stated.

"Well, that must suck," Draco started, trying to get a reaction out of her, to find out her emotions; surprisingly, now that he knew that muggleborns weren't bellow him he wanted to know all about the straight A student sitting afore him, "After all, you're moving to a big new, fabulous mansion that some people would kill for."

"Very funny. I had to move out of the house that I've lived in since I was born all because my parents got transferred here. I didn't even get a say in the matter. We have to be fully moved in by the 28."

"Wow and today's the 22. That's a lot of hard work."

"Tell me about it. But my parents don't mind my running of. They actually_ like_ unpacking things."

"Mine Didn't. They always used to get the house elves to do it... To put it frankly, if I had to move tomorrow, I would be more than happy. Hey, do you want a tour of the Malfoy Manor?" Draco asked a slight smirk on his face that made Hermione laugh.

"Sure." She suddenly wondered why she was being so nice to Draco. He certainly seemed to have changed… he was really different. _I could get used to his new attitude on things…_ she followed him up the stairs on their grand tour.

Ron and Harry flooed their way over to Hermione's house. Harry, of course, fell flat on his face. Ron, having flooed most places all his life, made a perfect landing. They took in their surroundings and their mouths dropped. Nothing was there.

"Merlin! What happened here?" Ron said, mostly to himself. "Where's Hermione?"

"Maybe we have the Wrong house Ron." Harry suggested.

"No, I've been here loads of times before."

Harry looked out the window to find a for sale sign planted in the middle of the yard. "She moved Ron! She's not here anymore. Maybe we can ask the ministry for her new location?"

"Ya, it's worth a try... But I don't know why she didn't say in her last letter… she wanted us to come pick her up here today." Ron mulled over that thought… anger decorating his freckled face. _What if something happened to her? Oh boy and this was the year to tell her how I felt…_

"Oh my god it's gorgeous!" Hermione exclaimed as she viewed Draco's backyard. The lush green grass and the numerous trees, ponds and creeks made for the most relaxing sensation. Hermione was literally lifted off her feet… until she saw the flower garden. She walked over to it, oblivious to Draco staring at her with a puzzled expression. Draco's flower garden had every single flower and more than what Hermione had had in hers. A light breeze floated across her face, transporting her back to another garden, another time…

"_Mommy, can I help you plant the flowers?" a 3 year old Hermione tugged on her mothers dress._

"_Sure sweetie. Do you know how?"_

"_Uh-huh." Hermione stuck her finger in her mouth._

_She grabbed the shovel and dug a hole that was a little too big. She placed the plant into the hole, and didn't bother to fill it up with dirt. She then drowned the flower in water._

"_See mommy? I did it!"_

_Her father chuckled. "You sure did pumpkin. But you have to make the hole a little smaller, and then fill it up with dirt. You see? Then you only need to put a little bit of water on. Okay?"…_

Draco placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Sorry... I was just umm… lost in thought." A blush tinged her cheeks.

"That's alright. Let's go back inside. I'll show you the art room."

They headed back up the stone steps into the cool darkness of the manor. Hermione followed Draco down the hall to a cozy room. Artwork plastered the walls, paints and pastels littered the tables, paper was scattered all over the floor.

"Kind of messy isn't it?"

"Ya, well my mom hasn't come in here in a very long time."

A small 'Oh' was Hermione's reply. Draco turned away from her and studied a lifelike picture of a storm. Hermione couldn't resist the urge to draw him, eyebrows furrowed, forehead in knots, a faint pout on his lips as he tried to gather the meaning of the painting. Silently grabbing a pallet and pulling up an art canvas, Hermione started to paint Draco's puzzled reflection. She was halfway done, and when Draco started to move, Hermione yelled "Hold that pose!" and Draco's handsome features once more became perplexed.

Hermione tried very hard not to laugh; she found it was a hard thing to do. Finally, she finished her work of art, and was contemplating whether or not to show it to him. Deep In her thoughts, she didn't notice that Draco had finally become restless with holding the same pose, so he sauntered over behind her to peer over her shoulder at the painting.

"That's a really good painting you got there," Draco commented, and then laughed when he saw Hermione jump.

"Don't do that!" Hermione exclaimed.

He held up his hands in apology. "It really is a good picture you know. I never knew that you were an artist."

"Only my parents know… last time I tried to tell someone they threw it back in my face. Harry and Ron don't even know…"

Draco felt special; he was the only person that knew that Hermione possessed such talents.

"Do you want to keep the painting?" Draco asked?

"No, that's alright, you can keep it. Ill paint another one some other time…" then realizing what she had just said she hastily added, "if you want me to of course." Then blushed again as she saw Draco's raised eyebrows. "I should get going... my parents are probably wondering where I am…"

"I'll come knocking on your door tomorrow don't worry... its boring when there's no one around." He gave her a lopsided smile.

"Harry! We got a reply back from the ministry! They found out where Hermione is."

"Already?"

"Ya, we can go get her tomorrow. Then we'll find out why she didn't bother to tell us she was moving."

"Look Ron, they gave us a map too… there's only one other house on her street… WAIT A MINUTE! She lives next door to _MALFOY!"_

Okay this story is kind of jumpy… a little bit longer… I would have updated sooner but I got really sick (that's for chapter 2 as well but I forgot to add it. Sorry guys.) so read and review and tell me what you think :D


	4. Fight for your Lady

Thanks sooo much to xoKaSsIeox, Crazy-Physco Gentileschi for the awesome reviews… (Oh G, thanks for the "get well comment") MIDNIGHT-PIXIE, you are my number one reviewer! Thanks so much for the really great reviews! I just got what OOC meant too! So it's all good don't worry :) I am all better now... And half the problem was actually because I uploaded it… and then I didn't actually put it through the chapter manager thing… and I WAS grounded… but well… anyways here's the next chapter in my "wonderful" story…

_Hardships_

_Chapter 4_

Straight to his promise, Draco knocked on Hermione's door at exactly 11:30 the next morning. Of course her parents had stayed up all night unpacking so generally they would be sleeping. Hermione was touring the house in her pajamas so when the door bell rang Hermione answered it not thinking about who it could be. Draco nearly laughed his head when he saw the pink bunnies and purple elephants dancing across her pajamas. Hermione had to cuff him on the back of his head to get him to calm down.

"So what brings you here to my doorstep Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked in what she hoped to be a business like tone; deep inside she was still laughing. That's when she saw the picnic basket. She eyed it with suspicion.

"Well Miss Granger, I thought you would like to go on a picnic with me…" then he looked back down at her pink bunnies and purple elephants and burst out laughing again. This time Hermione laughed with him. They were out of control- and out of balance; they landed in a heap in the garden, Hermione half on top of Draco. But this just made them laugh all the harder

Hermione got up from her position, tears running down her face. Draco's expression mirrored her own; one of mirth and happiness.

"So what do you say Miss Granger? Would to like to go on a picnic with me?"

"I would love to," Hermione answered. It was a miracle how well they were getting along. At school they fought like cats and dogs. Here they were free... and he seemed so changed. She didn't even care if he saw her in her most embarrassing pair of pajamas. She hoped they would still be friends in school.

"I'll give you 5 minutes," Draco said, impatient to go.

Hermione eyed the huge mansion afore her. When Draco saw this, he grinned. "Better give me 10." She ran inside her house and up the stairs.

Draco watched her go, longing in his soul. He and Hermione… well their relationship was miraculous. He was surprised that Hermione hadn't shown any signs of anger for what he had called her over the years. That's why he had planned the picnic; so he could formally apologize to Hermione. He realized they would make quite a pair – relationship wise. Draco wondered if they would ever become more than just friends. _Oh God, I hope so. _She made him want to be a better person. They had a connection… and Draco wanted desperately to explore it. What scared him most of all… he didn't know what these feelings meant. But he was going to trust them.

Hermione dashed up the stairs, excitement rushing through her veins. In her room, she picked out a deep red sarong to wrap around her waist and a tan square neck t-shirt. Running a quick brush to her hair, and writing a quick note telling her parents where she was, Hermione was back out the door. Draco was leaning against the house, basket dangling from his wrist. He seemed to be staring off in space. She waved a hand in front of his face just for effect. He jolted back to reality and grinned at Hermione's appearance. She grinned back

"You ready to go Miss Hermione?" Draco teased as he offered her his free arm. She accepted it and they were off.

"So where are we going anyways?" Hermione interjected.

"Oh I have a peaceful somewhere in mind…"

Hermione kept silent the rest of the way. It felt so good to be linking arms with Draco. _When did I start calling him Draco?_ They walked for about 15 minutes until they came to a beautiful green meadow on top of a hill. There was a large pond in the center surrounded by ducks and tall grass. Flowers blossomed all over the place making the surroundings very colorful. A single tree stood tall and proud beside the pond, its crown shading a patch of soft green grass; it looked like a Precious Moment. Hermione bent to sit down in the shade but Draco put up a hand to stop her. He proceeded to lay a blue checkered blanket on the ground and then sat on it. He help out his hand, which Hermione again accepted, and her pulled her gently down beside him.

"So what do you think?" Draco asked tentatively.

"It's beautiful."

"I thought you might like it. Lunch?" Draco pulled all the food out of the basket and set it down. Hermione grabbed a bowl of strawberries and sugar – one of her favorites. Dipping the red berry into the sweet grains of sugar, she swirled it around and took a big bite.

Draco thought she looked like a goddess; her bronze curls floating in the wind. He decided it was time to try to make conversation.

"Do you know the real reason why I brought you here?" he asked with what he hoped was a light tone as he grabbed a cheese and tomato sandwich.

"Not really… but I'm glad you did." Hermione replied with a shy smile, taking another bit out her strawberry.

"Well… you know how I used to bug you at school all the time… and I called you a… well a mudblood?" her expression darkened, blocking out the brilliant sunlight. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. My father… he put all these thoughts in my head… I used to want to be just like him…" he gave a wry laugh. "Not anymore." And then he told Hermione the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. When he finished, Hermione was pale, eyes wide with sorrow for her new found friend.

"I'm so sorry… I had no idea." She leaned over and gave him a comforting hug. Draco was surprised at first, but he didn't pull away. Then hewrapped his own arms around her waist and held her there. He didn't particularly need a hug as he hadn't really been too close to his deceased family; but Hermione felt so good in arms. He wanted her to stay there forever. But finally she pulled away, an unidentified emotion hovering in her eyes.

"How about we have a contest?" Draco suggested, trying to lighten the confusing mood; he knew that something was happening between them.

"What kind of contest?" She asked; her eyes wary.

"Hmm, how about a race?"

"Well then in that case… GO!" Hermione screamed and was already running down the hill, leaving a stunned Draco behind.

"Hey! Cheater!" Draco scrambled after her, trying to catch up. When he finally got close enough he snaked his arm around her waist. Unfortunately neither of them had the best balance and they fell on the ground. But that didn't just stop there; they were on a hill remember? They tumbling down, laughing and screaming all the way.

Back at the burrow, Ron and Harry were just about ready to head out to Hermione's new house.

"Okay so I guess we just have to say 'Granger Manor' then huh?" asked Ron.

"Ya I guess so. Let's go."

Using the fireplace and emerald green floo powder, they were off. They landed in a cold hard grate in what to them seemed to be a second Hogwarts. The cool glass floor gave the living room a superior air. Harry and Ron gazed around the room, surprise evident on their faces. They stared at the expensive rugs and furniture. Pure white love seats and lounge chairs littered the glass floor. Green, red and tan pillows were thrown carelessly on the couches, while the walls were a pale olive. A pale Beachwood table sat in the center, a vase of daffodils crowning the center. Statues stood on either side of the large entryway. A high domed ceiling made the room look huge, and 3 large windows decorated 3 walls, each with white curtains hanging gracefully. The fireplace was huge also. It consisted of grey stone, and the mantle was decorated with glass figurines.

"Hermione must have a _bundle_ of money," Ron stated, his jaw dropping to the floor.

"Yes well in the muggle world, dentists generally DO make a bundle of money; and _both_ her parents are dentists." Harry said matter of factly.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, the call echoing off the walls.

"Ron shut up! People in china could have heard you!" Harry replied angrily. "What's this?" he bent to pick up a bit of parchment with Hermione's writing scrawled across it.

"Mom, Dad I've gone out for a picnic with the neighbors, will be back soon. Love, Hermione." Ron read over Harry's shoulder. "Bloody -! She's gone out with that scum... On a _picnic_. Geez haven't they gotten friendly… he probably put her under a hex or something. God! Why does she have to spend time with _him?_ She hates him! When I find Malfoy I'm going to rip his throat out…" Ron snarled. Harry could see thefury evidenton his face.

"Come on, Ron. Let's go find him." Ron crunched the note in his hand.

Hermione and Draco eventually reached the bottom of the hill, out of breath. They were bruised and worn out, but still happy. They lay there for awhile, looking up at the clouds. Finally Draco rolled over and looked at Hermione, a thoughtful expression on his face. His hand was holding uphis head; to Hermione he looked so… cute.

"You know, I've been thinking…" Draco started, "We only became friends yesterday, but I feel as though we've been friends forever. How is that possible?"

"Well I'm not exactly sure... Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we go to the same school?"

"Or maybe it's something else. Something that was buried underneath hatred for so long… and now that the hatred is gone, whatever it is? it's starting to come out." Hermione swallowed hard. What was he trying to say? That he liked her? Secretly that thought made her want to dance with excitement.

Draco gathered Hermione close in his arms. "You make me feel things that I've never felt before," he whispered into her ear, making Hermione shiver. "You've gotten under my skin, and I can't stop thinking of you…" Hermione's head swarmed with questions, with emotions she couldn't name. But the strongest thought was _I like him too._

Draco lifted his head so that he was staring directly into Hermione's eyes. The silvery grey of his gave her a silent plea; _please give me a chance._ Hermione nodded her yes; a slight movement that she would soon learn would change everything. Draco leaned his head in, and his lips brushed hers, an expected movement that caught them both by surprise. He quickly recovered and leaned down and kissed her again, a soft, sweet motion of lips that nearly killed Hermione. She was sure that if she was standing, she would have fallen down, her knees were so weak. Then Draco took the kiss deeper, and fireworks exploded behind her eyes. Her disposition melted, and her heart fluttered madly. She wanted this to last forever.

But every good thing has to come to an end.

"_HERMIONE! WHAT THE BLOODYARE YOU DOING?"_

Hermione and Draco pushed away from each other and sat up quickly. When they looked around, they saw a raging red faced Ron huffing and puffing, fists clenched. Harry was behind him, looking mildly surprised and confused.

"Ron! I was just…" Hermione started.

But Ron wouldn't listen to her. He was furious. "You!" he shouted at Draco. "You leave her alone. If you ever talk to her again, I- I'll kill you Malfoy! I'll pull an avada on you! Do you hear!" then he grabbed Hermione's arm and started dragging towards her house. But Hermione would have none of it. "Ron! Listen to me! You have no right-!" Ron cut her off.

"Hermione if you ever go near Malfoy again…I don't know what ill do." He was practically shouting. "I love you don't you know that? And you go around with him? What has gotten into you? Don't you love me too?" Hermione was struck dumb. Harry was shocked. She realized that he hadn't said anything about her and Draco, so she mouthed to him for help.

Harry walked up to Ron and tried to pry his iron like grip from Hermione's small wrist. "Ron, come on, if she didn't like Malfoy she wouldn't be kissing him would she? Are you sure you're feeling okay?" he felt Ron's forehead but Ron jerked back and fell to the ground taking Hermione down with him.

"Come on Hermione! Say you love me too," he rasped. Harry was trying desperately to break them up. "Tell me you're not crazy for me."

A hand shot out of nowhere and lifted Ron into the air. Then a solid blow to the jaw sent him flying back onto the ground, unconscious. Those same hands reached down to lift her up, and Hermione found herself staring into Draco's grey eyes. They were full of anger, worry, and something else that rocked Hermione's core.

Draco looked down at her wrist, which was starting to sport a rather large, angry bruise. His eyes hardened. "I'm okay," Hermione soothed. "I don't know what's gotten into him…"

"If the- Draco caught himself, though he wanted to call Ron every dirty name in the book, "if he thinks I'm never going to see you again he's crazy." Hermione secretly smiled at this. Harry was trying to pick Ron up to carry him to Hermione's house, so she helped him. Surprisingly, so did Draco. They successfully managed to half drag him into Hermione's living. There he was settled on one of the couches, while Hermione and Draco sat on the other. Harry sat in an armchair, facing them. "So," he said. How long has this been going on?"

"Since yesterday." She looked shyly up at Draco. Harry's eyebrows hit sky rocket.

"So is that why you moved here… and decided not to tell Ron that you weren't coming to the Burrow?"

Hermione's eyes widened. She completely forgot to owl Ron… well that was quite impossible since she didn't own an owl. "No it's not Harry. My parents were transferred her from work. So now they get to live in Surry. I didn't find out until after Ron owled, and then I had no way of letting him know. I forgot to tell him." She added quietly. "But I'm really sorry Harry!"

Harry was puzzled. Hermione never forgot anything. He looked at the two people sitting in front of him with wonder. The most unlikely pair and they were head over heals for each other; anyone could see it. And Draco obviously wasn't his same self either. Harry asked about it.

Draco told him what he had told Hermione earlier; the truth. It felt so good. Harry seemed mildly surprised; but then not much was getting to him these days. His feelings had pretty much shut off since Sirius had died.

"Harry please can you give this a chance?" Hermione asked when Draco was finished. But at this point, Ron was starting to wake up. His eye was black, blue, and very swollen. He could hardly open it.

"Ron, we're leaving," Harry stated.

"But-!" Ron started to protest, but Harry held up his hand.

"I'll send Hedwig later Hermione"

And with that they left the same way they came in.

Draco turned to Hermione. "That was quite an eventful day wasn't it?" Hermione just rolled her eyes and sighed. Draco laughed and leaned in to kiss her again...

"Hermione, I'm sorry we slept so late." Her mother was coming down the stairs. Then she spied Draco. "Oh I didn't realize we had company… would you like to stay for lunch?"

"No thank-you; I have to head home anyways. But thanks for the offer." He turned down to Hermione brushed a light kiss across her pink lips. She blushed. After he had gone-

"Well he seems like a nice boy. Hermione why don't you go out with him?"

_Mom, you have no idea._

Whew that was a long chapter. I guess I'm more into this whole story thing now. There's a lot of "and then..." in my story... but please bear with me... I tried to update ASAP. Please review and tell me how it was… I personally think it's my best chapter. oh and i desrcibed the living room so much because Hermione and draco and some of the story will take place there.


	5. A Night in the Meadow

Oh my god I'm sooo sorry it took so long for me to update! I should have started typing this up as soon as I finished the other one… but I was really busy with school and my job (yes I'm only 13) and I had to dissect pigs eyeballs… I know that doesn't really relate to anything but still… thanks to **Kaichai**, I'm glad I turned your opinion around on the whole Hermione/Draco thing, and I think I'm going to make this story about how they are in school, and they defeat Voldemort (I think everyone saw that coming) and then a little after maybe when Draco and Hermione's relationship gets concluded. Or maybe it gets concluded before… I'm not sure yet. **PaRTy-GiRl089 **I'd like to thank you for your demanding review… it love to get reviews! **Gentileschi **thanks for your review! And yes, Harry is okay! He's just feeling a little depressed... But that will be all solved up in later chapters… (Oops have I said too much?) **Princessdza **I would like to thank you for your wonderful review as well. And last but certainly not least, thanks to **MIDNIGHT-PIXIE! **Your reviews are always looked upon with such favor (well so is everyone else's) a lot of people (like friends and stuff) have said that this chapter is really good! See now, **I **have actually dived into the story too! Everyone wants to be Hermione, Kara, but there's nothing no one can do about it sigh. Lol well those are my shout outs everybody, so read them and feel happy… and try to enjoy my next chapter!

_Hardships_

_Chapter 5_

The sun was beautiful the way it descended across the sky at dusk. At first it started out bright, and then it went less and less luminous, casting the world into shadow. The sky then turns colorful; the pinks and purples, oranges and yellows painting the sky, until there is no sun and everything goes into sleep.

Hermione sat on the window seat in her room staring out at the awesome view of the sunset. She realized that the setting sun was just liked her hatred for Draco Malfoy; at first it burned with such a hot intensity, and then it ebbed away, leaving a whole new personality beneath it. And suddenly, there was no more hatred, only a great attraction.

And then the stars come out, showing the secrets of the night; the secrets of Draco, the things that resided in him that even Hermione never thought could have possibly been there. It scared and amazed her just how much she could actually like someone. And trust her, she liked Draco _a lot._ Alone with her thoughts, Hermione tried to figure out where things might head between them. Would they still have this "attraction" between them at Hogwarts? Or would he shun her and return to his stupid slytherin friends? She hoped it was the former. Harry seemed to be okay with the idea; Ron however was not. That was going to be a problem.

How could she be best friends with someone who loved her – in what was defiantly NOT a platonic way? It was near impossible. Hermione had a feeling that in the future, Ron was NOT going to let things drop. She bet all her money that Ron would come up to either her or Draco and let his feelings fly. That's the way it was with Ron. He was full of emotion that seemed to always be bubbling over his cauldron.

Deciding that it would just be best to try to let things lay the same way they fell from the tree – at least for now – Hermione padded her way to her bath room to take a long hot bath with lots of bubbles to relax the stress that had diagnosed her all afternoon. It was then that 2 owls flew through the window.

Hermione found that the first one was delivered from Harry via Hedwig. Quickly unfolding the note tied around leg, she read the note:

_Hermione, _

_So exactly what is with you and Draco? Ron has been fuming all afternoon about how the two of you were right cozy. I know you already said that you were kind of trying things out but Ron was really hurt… and with Draco? The biggest prat in the world? Do you really believe his story? I mean… come on Hermione! He called you a mudblood every time he saw you at Hogwarts. Are you really going to forgive him? Send your reply back with Hedwig._

_Harry._

Hermione read and reread the note several times until she finally sat down at her cherry mahogany writing desk and wrote back a lengthy reply:

_Harry,_

_Me and Draco are getting along really well because he HAS changed. I can see it in his eyes, and the way he acts. I mean even if he were playing around with me, what would he get out of it? And how can you blame me for Ron's behavior? Are you honestly going to tell me that I have to love my best friend back the exact same way that he loves me? It's just not fair! I didn't do anything to make him fall in love with me did I? Up until a few hours ago I thought he just loved me platonically! AS A FRIEND! I have forgiven Draco one hundred percent. If I hadn't… do you really think that I would have kissed him! Just because you don't have anyone special in your life doesn't mean that I can't have someone special in my life Harry Potter! You can tell Ron that when he cools down his temper he can talk to me, and if he ever tries to physical make me follow him again there will be consequences!_

_Love, Hermione._

_There that ought to do it, _Hermione thought as finished her letter. Now that her feelings were out, there was no point trying to cover them back up. She turned to the next owl which Hermione knew would be her new school list. But opening it, Hermione got the second biggest shock of her life; the first being today's events. She scanned the parchment a second and third time just to make sure that she was reading it properly… _I was made the Head Girl! Oh mom's going to flip!_ A shiny silver page fell out of the envelope. Hermione picked it up and glared at it… there was the large initials HG stamped across it in bold letters. She suspected it stood for Head Girl and not Hermione Granger.

Just then, much to her surprise, another bird flew in the open window. This one wasn't an owl, but what appeared to be a very well trained Falcon. It rested on the sill, and held out its leg. Hermione untied the note attached there. It was from Draco; _Come meet me at the meadow at 12:00 sharp tonight. Since our picnic was ruined earlier… I thought we could have another one. _Hermione smiled and checked her watch; 11:30 pm. Guess she wasn't having that hot bath after all.

Hermione descended the marble staircase clad in jeans, and a large hunter green sweater. But to her horror, she encountered her mother on the way down.

"Oh Hermione dear where are you going this late at night?" Her mom asked.

"Oh, just out for a walk mom," Her cheeks started to pinken.

"Hermione you stay out of trouble with that boy you hear?" her mother said with a teasing yet motherly tone, and then she walked away with her cleaning box. Hermione was left dazed. She stood there for 10 minutes just trying to figure out how her mother could POSSIBLY know that she was going to see him...? But then what teenage daughter doesn't sneak out of the house to go see her boyfriend?

_Boyfriend…_ that word did strange things to her stomach.

Draco was already waiting for her on top of the hill, the tree's graceful limbs and Draco's fleece blankets offering shelter from the cold wind and frosty air.

"Hey HerMYone," Draco greeted with a teasing grin.

"Hey Ferret," Hermione shot back, just seconds from bubbling over with laughter- which would seem rather odd since there really wasn't anything that funny. That was just the effect Draco had on her; he made her feel giddy.

Draco patted a spot on the blanket next to himself, so Hermione sat down beside him. He wrapped a blanket around her, and then went to light a fire. It took him all of 5 seconds, and then he was back in the blankets with her; he ended up wrapping another blanket around them both. Hermione felt as snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. Then he placed his strong arm over her shoulder and pulled her close into his chest._ I could sit here forever._

They just sat and talked for a long while until finally Draco decided it was time to bring out the goods. Sitting up and grabbing the bag he brought with him, he pulled out canvases, paintbrushes, acrylic paints, sketching pencils, and a mirror.

"Hey, do you think that you could draw a picture of yourself?" Draco asked casually, so as not to give away the fact that he wanted a picture of her.

"Well, it depends… do you want me to draw it _now?_" She asked, eyeing the art utensils.

"Hmm… well the stuff is all here… and I have a mirror; you want to give it a try?"

"I suppose… but you have to hold the mirror up." And Draco did as she asked, tilting the mirror so as to let the fire and the tree in the background.

She first sketched a rough picture of herself; and then she redid another one only with paints. She swirled red and orange for the fire, black, grey, and a deep shade of green for the tree. Half of Hermione's face was shrouded in darkness, the other half in light; so orange beams of light bounced of half her face giving her a mysterious look. The picture was really starting to take shape, Hermione thought, surprised at how well she was doing considering she had to keep studying her reflection every 10 seconds or so. She painted her curly hair that was blowing gently in the wind, her full, bright pink lips that just demanded attention, and her whiskey eyes. She even drew the cinnamon flecks. Her pert nose and high cheekbones set off the rest of the picture, making it absolutely gorgeous. _It's the best picture I've ever drawn._

The color and the artistic ability that the picture showed stunned and amazed Draco beyond repair. The painting was exactly like Hermione; it was as though he had taken a picture with a camera. He wondered why she never chose to tell anyone of her surreal talent.

"Hermione, that picture is amazing. You are really talented." Draco didn't mention that he also thought she was beautiful, and the picture showed that. He wondered why he had never noticed just how special she really was. But then again, his father had literally forced Draco to ignore her.

"Do you really think it's that good? I mean I personally think it's the best I've ever done… I can't believe I actually painted that!" Hermione exclaimed.

Draco studied the picture once more. Hermione had even managed to catch the firelight dancing in her eyes, and it seemed almost as if her hair was actually moving. "Oh, it's better than good; trust me." His mother had never in her entire life painted anything that even came close to the quality in Hermione's work of art. Come to think of it, the picture she had drawn of him before was nothing compared to this. He had never seen anything like it. It picture was Hermione in every sense of the word. Strong colors, a delicate frame, darkness and light, amazing talent, phenomenal beauty.

"Can I keep the picture Hermione?" Draco asked; seriousness could even begin to describe the tone of his voice. It was almost as though he was pleading.

"I guess… if you take really good care of it…" Hermione said warily. She was reluctant to let it go. But if Draco wanted it… well lets just say she was more than happy to give it to him.

Draco tentatively took the painting out of Hermione's sweater clad arms, and placed it carefully into his burlap bag. As soon as he got home, he would frame it with a golden frame, and plaster it onto the wall of his bedroom; that way he could look at Hermione whenever he wanted. He turned to find that Hermione had another canvas ready in her hand, pencil poised.

"Now I get to draw one of _you."_ She sketched out his muscular features as he sat on the fleece blankets. She decided she would paint this one. She mixed and dipped the paints with her paintbrush; Draco's platinum blonde hair that shimmered in the bright firelight, his muscular neck and torso, his stormy silver grey eyes that reminded her of molten metal, and finally his expression. It was one of utter amazement and possession, and it confused Hermione.

"What's with that look?" Hermione had to repeat herself four or five times as he was deep in thought. He shook his head as he snapped back to the real world, and Hermione groaned. "You weren't supposed to move your head!"

"Sorry…" and he tried to move his head back to the same position. It was hard staying in the same spot! "Are you almost done?"

"Give me five minutes to make touchups."

Draco sighed. He had been thinking about Hogwarts. He had to talk to Hermione about that. He wanted them to keep their relationship out in the open in stead of hiding it. Even if Gryffindor and Slytherin didn't get alone at all, that didn't mean that he and Hermione had to push their growing attraction back into the closet. He actually no longer wanted to be in Slytherin, but there was obviously nothing he could do. He studied Hermione intently, as if to try to see her point of view on the whole situation. What Draco felt for Hermione was more than a simple attraction, and it went far beyond a crush.

He wanted... What he wanted scared him beyond control. He didn't know how he could have been around her for 6 years and not realize it. She was the most important thing in his life, and they had only been on this level of their relationship for 3 days.

Hermione drew with as much of her talent as she could. This picture rivaled the one she had drawn of herself. She had managed to capture the studious look on his face, the amazement, the wonder, and the confusion. As soon she got home, she was framing this piece of artwork and hanging it on her wall. And then, she decided, she was going to bring it with her to Hogwarts. Just the mention of the school made her face fall. Would they still be together like this at Hogwarts? She wanted their relationship to be known to other people. She had never felt this way about anyone else before; not even Victor Krum. She felt proud about this relationship; if it ever dissolved, Hermione didn't know what she would. Even the thought brought tears to her eyes. And Draco noticed.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he was so caring. A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek, and Draco knew for sure that all wasn't right in her world. He grabbed the pallet and canvas out of her lap, barely acknowledging the painting that she herself had created. He tugged Hermione onto his lap and held her close to his strong chest; she felt so protected and secure in his arms. "Baby, tell me what's wrong," Draco soothed, and gently tilted her face up to look into her eyes. What he saw there nearly ripped his heart out; her eyes held pain and loss, and something else; something called longing. "What's wrong?" he repeated in a whisper.

Hermione stared into his questioning eyes. She took a deep breath and she began; "I don't exactly know what this is between us… but it scares me and I don't know what to do." She paused. "I really want this… thing between us to grow stronger, but at Hogwarts… you'd still be a Slytherin and I'm still a Gryffindor. And the house rivalry… and I don't know where that's going to put us… I mean… are we even going to be together like this? Or this is something that just happens for a week and then we forget about it… because I know that I will never be able to forget it." Another tear escaped her sad eyes. Draco looked at a loss for words.

Finally he said, "I don't want to end this either… at Hogwarts I want to be together like this with you… and I don't care what anyone says; we'll put up with it no matter what. And we have each other if thinks get bad don't we? I don't want to lose you," he added in a whisper so quiet Hermione could barely make out his words. She smiled a little, and Draco knew he had said the right thing. He gathered her close, and they sat there for what seemed like hours. He was about to pull away – reluctantly I might add – when he realized that Hermione had fallen asleep. His mouth quirked up on one side. She looked so cute, eyes closed, lashes resting about her smooth skin. Her lips seemed to be in a pout, and her curls mussed up all around her and Draco's shoulders. Not wanting to wake her, he set her gently on the blankets, and he lay down beside her. He flung his arm around her waist and snuggled into her back, setting her head under his chin. Draco lay there in silence for a long while just watching her sleep until he to, lay in slumber.


	6. I'm Suntanning Honestly'

OMG! I am sooo sorry that it's taken me so long to update! I loved my last chapter… there was quite a few spelling mistakes… anyways thanks for the **AWSOME** reviews from **MIDNIGHT-PIXIE **you rock! Lol. I read your page thing and it said that you did acting… but your parents won't let you get an agent? I don't know if it's the same thing, but my whole family has a _talent agency_… I've been in Johnson's county war as an extra, my brother and my dad were in Shanghai nights, and my other brother was in Everwood (you know that TV show?) and umm… my grandpa was in the Incredible Mrs. Ritchie and Ratrace… and Snow Dogs and stuff… it was all fun. Anyways my story made you cry? Oh I feel so special. I honestly didn't think I could write this good! My friend (who also has a fanfic account as princessdza – her poems are very good) she told me that I had to write a story and stuff… but I didn't think I would do that good… I have a thing for actually writing REAL books… but I was rejected because I wasn't old enough. Tear. Lol. I don't really die my hair anymore; when I do my hair goes all frizzy. I live in Canada and its pretty okay... there's lots of stuff to do. Anyways I'm SOO glad you liked my story… and I just have to ask… exactly how long I should make it. Should I make another complete story about them in school? Or make it all one story? Usually the other Harry potter books start out in the summer, but they don't give that much detail…

Anyways read my next chapter and tell me what you think!

_Hardships_

_Chapter 6_

Draco had been watching Hermione sleep for the last ten minutes before she started waking up. For some reason, he liked to just sit there and stare at her. She made funny noises in her sleep; little mutters and soft sighs. Once he swore he had even heard her mumble his name. She snuggled closer to him, tipping her head back and nestling her lips against his shoulder and the hollow of his throat. A warm shiver shook his body. Eventually she started stirring, and her eyelids fluttered open. She looked around her at the meadow, and confusion knotted her perfectly arched brow. Suddenly she spotted Draco, and a happy grin cracked her face.

"Why good morning Princess," Draco drawled lazily. He reached out and gently tucked a strand of her unruly hair behind her ears. She blushed and smiled. Draco just looked at her. Her hair really was a mess in the morning. She just looked so darn cute in her overlarge sweater and wild curly hair all tangled in the blankets. He wanted to laugh, but instead he found something better to do.

He leaned down and kissed her full on the lips. It didn't last for more than 3 seconds, but it was so soft and gentle, yet possessive and bold; as if he were claiming Hermione for himself. The thought made Hermione want to jump with joy.

Until she remembered that if was morning. And her mother either knew that she was out with Draco, or she was worried sick. With groan, she sat up and pushed the blankets of her lap. Draco followed her lead.

"I guess we'd better be heading home huh?" that cocky grin that Hermione had come to love was sitting on his face again.

"Ya I guess so. My mom is probably worried sick." Hermione's voice was husky, partly from sleep, and partly from the kiss Draco had bestowed upon her lips. She got up and helped him fold all the blankets and gather everything up in his bag. She was in the middle of folding the last blanket neatly, her lips pouting and her brow frowning in concentration when Draco decided he just couldn't resist. He snatched the half folded blanket out of her hands and tossed it on the ground. Then he grabbed Hermione with a little aggression, pulled her into his strong embrace, and kissed her passionately. He moved his lips tenderly along hers making Hermione nearly fall to the ground. The scent of him and the taste of his lips was a killer combo, making her brain fuzzy. She couldn't think about ANYTHING when he was kissing her_. The sky must surly be falling down. Or maybe I'm in heaven!_

"Hermione?" Draco whispered against her lips.

"Ya?"

"I think I'm starting to fall for you. I mean really fall. Fast and hard." Hermione breath caught in her throat. It was going to be a long day.

Hermione sat in her backyard and suntanned for a few hours when she got home. Basking in the sun was something she really enjoyed, but she never had enough time to do it. She already had a nice tan, but that wasn't the point.

She could easily see Draco shooting hoops in his own backyard from here. And best of all, he couldn't see her. She could watch him dribbling the ball, or throwing it into the net with stunning accuracy without anyone knowing. She smiled when he dropped the ball; when he went to grab it, he accidentally kicked it further… towards _her. _And he kept kicking it. Hermione knew better than to think it was just a coincidence. When he got close enough to the gate, he purposely threw the ball over the fence. _He knows I'm watching him. Uh oh._ The ball landed right beside Hermione's lawn chair.

Draco walked with purpose towards her – to either grab the ball or to talk to her she had no idea. The closer he got, the more Hermione's stomach fluttered.

"Do you like watching me play basketball miss Granger?" Draco asked mischievously. He bent down to grab the ball, but instead of grabbing the _ball, _he grabbed the leg of Hermione's lawn chair and flipped it over so that she landed sandwiched in between it and Draco.

They laughed for quite a while before Hermione struggled to get up.

"So why _were_ you watching me huh?"

"I wasn't watching you, I was sun tanning!"

"Uh huh… and pigs can fly."

"I can make them fly if you want me to!" Hermione started laughing again. She realized that Draco's arms were wrapped around her waist; her attempts at trying to get up were futile. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Hermione snuggled closer into Draco.

"Wanna come play basketball with me?" not wanting to make a fool of herself as she didn't know how to play, she replied no. Draco's face fell.

"We could, however, go do something else… maybe swimming? At the meadow?" the instant the words were out of her mouth she regretted it. Just the _thought_ of Draco without his shirt brought chills upon her. But before she could suggest something else, Draco had flipped the chair over and brought them both to their feet.

"Sounds good. Meet you back here in 15 minutes."

He walked away without a backward glance.

_"I'm so stupid!" _Hermione practically screamed once she was in her room. She smacked her head with her palm. "how could I have possibly asked to go swimming… that means I have to wear a bathing suit!" already Hermione grew conscious of her body. Showing off that much skin was surely a crime! But she decided that if she had to wear one, she might as well her nice one.

Walking into her closet, she rummaged through the numerous racks and found her favorite bikini. It had deep red flowers set on a background of dark brown. It was a little bright, but it brought out the cinnamon in her eyes. Much to her delight, it even had a red sarong to match; red was her favorite color. Her tan flip-flops completed the outfit. She ran to her bathroom and grabbed 2 humungous towels. She raced down the stairs and practically flew into the backyard. Draco was already there, another picnic basket in his hand. He was wearing grey and white floral print swim trunks, and a skin tight white muscle shirt. She could literally see the muscles bulge on his chest and arms. _Oh my god what have I gotten myself into?_


End file.
